Cockroach Janta Party: Haryana lawyer approaches EC to register CJP as political party, calls himself convener

A 35-year-old Haryana lawyer has filed an application with the Election Commission to register digital group ‘Cockroach Janta Party’ as a political party and proposed to become its national convener, news agency PTI reported.

Advocate Sudhir Jakhar was quoted by a news agency as saying that he took this step because people across the country have developed a sentiment with the CJP and she needs to be given a political platform.

Read also | Delhi HC to hear CJP founder petition against blocking of X account on May 29

He said that since Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the satirical online campaign, is abroad and no one knows when he will return, he has taken another step.

“I felt that when people attach so much of their sentiment, we need to take it forward. And the best way to do that is to register it as a political entity,” Jakhar told PTI.

The development was first reported by Hindustan Times.

The lawyer said he was a student leader in his youth and was actively involved in the farmers’ protest against the repeal of the three agricultural laws.

“I even faced cases during the farmers’ agitation,” said the Panipat lawyer.

Jakhar said he submitted an application to the Election Commission of India on 22 May to register the CJP as a political party under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

Part of the application reads: “…the proposed political movement has emerged as a people-oriented, democratic initiative aimed at community service, constitutional awareness, social responsibility, environmental protection, animal welfare, transparency in governance and enforcement of fundamental duties under Article 51-A of the Constitution of India.”

Read also | Website down, X account suspended, Instagram hacked: What next for CJP?

In the request, Jakhar said the CJP is trying to work peacefully and constitutionally to enforce fundamental duties, strengthen democratic participation and public accountability.

The party would fight for legal awareness of constitutional and statutory rights, promote community services, promote transparency, ethical governance and the rule of law, ensure community harmony, public order and promote peaceful democratic reforms through legal means.

A political parody platform

The Janta cockroach party (CJP), a political parody platform, has gained more than 22.8 million followers on Instagram since it was launched as a joke two weeks ago after India’s chief justice allegedly compared unemployed youth to “cockroaches”.

The campaign, which started as a social media Google form, had a website with millions of registrations. However, its website is no longer available in the country and appears to be down elsewhere as well. group founder, Abhijeet Deepkasaid the CJP’s “iconic website” had been removed.

On May 21, Cockroach Janata Party’s X account was seized in India.

The online sensation emerged amid controversy over remarks attributed to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant about “cockroaches” and “parasites” during a May 15 court hearing on a plea regarding the appointment of a senior lawyer.

On May 16, the CJI issued a strongly worded clarification of his remarks, saying he was “hurt” by media reports suggesting he had criticized the youth.

I felt that when people attached so much of their sentiment, we needed to move it forward. And the best way to do that is to register it as a political outfit.

Kant emphasized that his remarks were specifically aimed at individuals who entered the legal profession through “false and bogus degrees” and were “misquoted by sections of the media”.